Fulham set to hijack Stoke's Gudjohnsen bid

Gudjohnsen, who spent a portion of last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur and previously played for Chelsea, would prefer to remain in London and the Daily Telegraph report he will join Mark Hughes's Fulham.

Monaco will also be happy with the deal as the Cottagers have agreed to make a £2 million contribution towards Gudjohnson's salary.

The Iceland international's U-turn will come as a big blow to Stoke chairman Peter Coates, who was keen to land Gudjohnson following injuries to Kenwyne Jones and Mamady Sidibe.

"We have enquired about him," Coates told The Sentinel. "We have talked about getting him on a 12-month loan because we think he could be a good player for 12 months, and maybe after that, but whether it happens or not, or how far we will get, we just don't know yet."